Lasang Pinoy is a fantastic food blogging event where Filipino bloggers from around the world do posts on a particular theme. I was an early participant and usually quite anal about getting an â€œentryâ€ in on time. LP took a brief hiatus but it is back in full gearâ€¦ I missed some of the recent themes due to trips, etc., but the current theme â€œBarrio Fiestaâ€ was just too good to pass up. I moved up this pork post up (which I had planned for several weeks down the road) as my contribution to Lasang Pinoy 19â€¦ Here is my Binagoongang Bagnet a la Marketmanâ€¦ ITO ANG LASANG PINOY!!! There are few things more iconic about our food than brilliant, fatty and flavorful pork and pungent salty (shrimp or fish) pasteâ€¦ so why not have them together? Forget your arteries, load up on Lipitor and come along for a flavor packed dish that most Filipinos would probably enjoy immenselyâ€¦

I cannot actually claim that this is an original invention of mine in any way. Binagoongang Baboy is a favorite national dish after all. And I must give credit to Pat, a friend, who recently asked me to taste a Binagoongang Lechon Kawali that was the ultimate inspiration for this version (the Bagnet version being a result of our recent Ilocos trip). At any rate, this is incredibly simple, easy to do, packs an incredible amount of flavor and goes well with a mountain of rice heaped onto your plate or banana leaf. Paired with a soupy vegetable dish and eaten with oneâ€™s hands, this is Barrio Fiesta food heaven, in my opinion. I realize it isnâ€™t as â€œfancyâ€ or as â€œfestiveâ€ a dish as say a whole lechon, but taste it and you will understand why you will see it flying off your buffet at your next Pinoy themed dinner partyâ€¦

The smell that will emanate from your kitchen will kill small flying insectsâ€¦it is WAY powerful. Try the recipe as described before you are tempted to tinker with it. Our cook freaked out that I wasnâ€™t adding any onions, tomatoes, chillis, or veggies to cut the intensity. But try it as described first. You do not want too much moisture added or the pork will lose its crispness. You want crisp pork with a glaze of bagoong. If you want to start experimenting, I might suggest adding chopped siling mahaba. When you serve this dish, you must have a good vinegar to dip the pork pieces into briefly before popping them into your mouth. I canâ€™t eat this more often than once a quarter or so, but it is utterly delicious!!!

A big thank you to Lilimonster over at ANG SARAP for hosting this month’s event. A round-up of all entries should be posted in a few days on ANG SARAP.

COMMENTS:

linda
says:

This post is plain”Torture”! Now I have to go to our local chinese butcher who cooks fresh chinese roast pork,(peking duck etc.) and try out this bagnet recipe with bagoong.I’m sure it won’t taste like what you made,but there’s no harm in trying.MM,can you tell me which brand of bagoong you used?The brands that we have here in Oz are Barrio Fiesta,Freshways and one with a picture of a bahay kubo on it’s label. Thanks!

MM…this is so spot on! This is what I was planning to do with a bit of bagnet…you see, I had already made regular binagoongan baboy for a family lunch and I specifically set aside some of the resulting sauce to try something like this. I’ll also try it with pure bagoong now as you’ve said…like just a glaze :) Woohoo! Lot’s of options :) To echo Linda, what brand bagoong do you use? Also do you deep or shallow fry? I’m so excited I can hardly wait!

Jul 5, 2007 | 1:42 pm

bambooshootjr
says:

Since you started with this new way to eat bagnet-i was wondering how else to coook/eat ilocos longganisa. Any ideas?

Jul 5, 2007 | 1:44 pm

bambooshootjr
says:

Since you started with this new way to eat bagnet-i was wondering how else to cook/eat ilocos longganisa. Any ideas?

Yummy!! I have to mention that I suggested you make this in your post on your Ilocos trip.

Jul 6, 2007 | 12:04 am

ykmd
says:

Those pics make me sooo hungry, and its only 9:30 AM! Yummm….

Jul 6, 2007 | 12:28 am

millet
says:

speechless…….and hungry…

Jul 6, 2007 | 12:43 am

Maria Clara
says:

Amazing dish considering only three ingredients needed – oil, bagnet and bagoong and the glorious and flavorful rendered fat of the bagnet. If I have a choice I want to cook this dish on a clay stove with our cast iron black kawali over charcoal. I want to eat this on a dulang that dining table that sits on the floor and people are sitting on the floor to grasp the tradition of the dish! Like the batalan era of cooking. My wishful thinking!

Jul 6, 2007 | 1:29 am

gina
says:

you can get bagnet at the ground floor of the national food authority office where they have a branch of their multiline processing plant..it’s along panay ave near quezon ave. in front of st. mary’s college..the products they have there come straight from their plant in santa, ilocos sur so you can be sure it’s authentic ilocos-made..aside from bagnet, they also have vigan longganisa and chichacorn..check it out..

Jul 6, 2007 | 7:35 am

gina
says:

sorry it got the office wrong, its national tobacco administration or NTA but it’s really along panay near quezon ave..mea culpa..

Linda, The Chinese roast pork might work well with this recipe. Bring home the roast pork, cut into smaller pieces then re-fry in hot vegetable oil…it should be floating in oil… until crisped up again. Then drain on paper towels. In a new pan, add some of the oil from the bottled bagoong, I just checked, I used Kamayan brand but most bottled ginisang bagoong’s should work decently, and a little more vegetable oil if necessary and quickly stir fry the bagoong for just seconds before adding the hot pork back in. Serve immediately, do not let the pork get too soggy… Good luck. But I feel for your neighbors…the fried bagoong really STINKS up the place! Joey, oddly, I haven’t been that picky aobut my bottled bagoong, as long as it sin’t the nuclear red/orange color. We mostly get fresh bagoong at the markets (the cook buys it for the most part) so my bagoong tips are probably weak. At any rate, the darker ginisang bagoongs should work with this. Please do NOT serve this to anyone with salt issues, I don’t want to be blamed for health problems!!! Bambooshootjr, I have a nice simple recipe for miki with bagnet coming up in the weeks ahead! lee, that is just too funny…but as you have mentioned before, all pork dishes on marketmanila seem to get a LOT of reader reaction. mikelinparis, surely there must be SOMEONE bringing bagoong in… an Asian store perhaps? But your flat or house neighbors will scream when you fry it. Apicio, you think this qualifies for South Beach menu? Heeheehee. It’s all protein, after all! KongKong622, yes of course! Thank you thank you for the suggestion! It was delicious! gina, thanks for that source, I am sure everyone appreciates the tip. Everyone, it is amazing what you can do with three ingredients!

My husband suggested a working trip to Ilocos area tomorrow. The picture of the Binagoongan Bagnet immediately flashed!

We are based in Santiago, Isabela and will drive up North and go down Ilocos.

Rushing work now, after surfing :)…Pagudpud and Vigan…food food food

Jul 9, 2007 | 8:21 am

edee
says:

had this yesterday, instead of bagnet i slow roasted pork belly for more or less 3hrs to get a really really crispy skin and melt in your mouth meat and taba :)….had it with grilled talong , steaming rice and sukang maanghang and ate with my hand….heaven! :)….sarap ng super crispy na balat!!!

Oh my, this is one of the few that I really like with a good mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, calamansi and chilli. great entry!

Jul 12, 2007 | 4:54 pm

Gio
says:

Wow, this is good very authentic, and looks delicious.. I really love to try the Binagoongan Bagnet…

May 22, 2008 | 11:56 am

Cecilia
says:

I’ve been in love with this and other post of binagoongang lechon kawali for quite some time now. I go back to it every now and then just to read and look at the photos. Just haven’t gotten the chance to cook this, as I’m the only one in the family that eats binagoongan. But can’t help it, I’m making it on Friday!